At 3:02 a.m. the quake struck. Nine years to the moment, mourners gather in the thousands to remember loved ones who died in the devastating Marmara quake. A wreath put to sea near the earthquake monument in Gölcük read ‘We will never forget.´

  Tens of thousands around the country yesterday marked the ninth anniversary of the Aug. 17, 1999 Marmara earthquake that killed at least 17,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless in Turkey’s densely populated industrial heartland of Kocaeli.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=112843

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/880000/images/_883667_golcuk150.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/883667.stm

 I had no idea it took 17,000 plus lives.  Terrible. ):

In a recently read book was stated that the official number of people died was around 18.000 but unofficial probably around 40.000 !!!